D. H. Lawrence’s "Afternoon in School: The Last Lesson"

Poetry became my passion, after I fell in love with Walter de la Mare's "Silver" in Mrs. Edna Pickett's sophomore English class, circa 1962.

D. H. Lawrence

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Introduction and Text of "Afternoon in School: The Last Lesson”

D. H. Lawrence’s poem, "Afternoon in School: The Last Lesson,” appears in his collection, titled Love Poems. The collection organizes the poems into three sections: Love Poems, Dialect Poems, and The Schoolmaster. This poem, “Afternoon in School: The Last Lesson,” appears in the section, “The Schoolmaster.” This collection was published in New York by Mitchell Kinerley in 1915.

This two-stanza version of the poem is Lawrence’s final revision of the poem. Unfortunately, an earlier draft of this poem featuring six stanzas is widely disseminated on the internet, and that version is inferior to the two-stanza version. I suggest that if you encounter the six-stanza version, please ignore it in favor of the two-stanza version, offered in this article and here in the 1915 publication.

This poem contains some rimes that are scattered throughout the four movements. Likely the rimes occur rather accidentally, and do not, in fact, rise to the level of an actual "scheme." These seemingly haphazard rimes play well in dramatizing the utter boredom of the teacher.

(Please note: The spelling, "rhyme," was introduced into English by Dr. Samuel Johnson through an etymological error. For my explanation for using only the original form, please see "Rime vs Rhyme: An Unfortunate Error.")

Afternoon in School: The Last Lesson

When will the bell ring, and end this weariness? How long have they tugged the leash, and strained apart My pack of unruly hounds: I cannot start Them again on a quarry of knowledge they hate to hunt, I can haul them and urge them no more. No more can I endure to bear the brunt Of the books that lie out on the desks: a full three score Of several insults of blotted pages and scrawl Of slovenly work that they have offered me. I am sick, and tired more than any thrall Upon the woodstacks working weariedly.

And shall I take The last dear fuel and heap it on my soul Till I rouse my will like a fire to consume Their dross of indifference, and burn the scroll Of their insults in punishment? - I will not! I will not waste myself to embers for them, Not all for them shall the fires of my life be hot, For myself a heap of ashes of weariness, till sleep Shall have raked the embers clear: I will keep Some of my strength for myself, for if I should sell It all for them, I should hate them - - I will sit and wait for the bell.

Reading of "Afternoon in School: The Last Lesson"

Commentary

The teacher in "Afternoon in School: The Last Lesson" is dramatizing the uninspired performance of his lackluster students and then vows to himself to cease torturing his own soul by wasting of his time and effort in trying to instruct them.

First Stanza: Student Dogs

When will the bell ring, and end this weariness? How long have they tugged the leash, and strained apart My pack of unruly hounds: I cannot start Them again on a quarry of knowledge they hate to hunt, I can haul them and urge them no more. No more can I endure to bear the brunt Of the books that lie out on the desks: a full three score Of several insults of blotted pages and scrawl Of slovenly work that they have offered me. I am sick, and tired more than any thrall Upon the woodstacks working weariedly.

The scenario described in this poem begins and ends with the teacher himself eagerly awaiting the bell that will eventually ring and end a boring, lifeless class.

The speaker compares his uninspired students to dogs that pull on the leash trying to free themselves from his instruction. They do not want to learn, and he does not want to continue trying to teach them. This teacher comes to the conclusion that he can no longer keep up this charade of teaching and learning that is not happening. He desires to free himself from this the same cage that he deems these students so unwillingly occupy.

This teacher does not have the patience or love for the young to teach; he is weary, and he cannot empathize with these students who can muster only a lackluster performance. He loathes facing the many papers with badly written scrawls that disgust him. His sixty charges have handed in to him "slovenly work," and he is bone tired of having to confront it. The speaker asserts that it does him no service, but it also does not serve his students as well. The speaker declares that it does not matter, if they are able to write about what they lack interest in anyway. He finds it all pointless. He bitterly complains repeatedly about the ultimate purpose of all this activity.

Second Stanza: Unjustified Expenditure of Energy

And shall I take The last dear fuel and heap it on my soul Till I rouse my will like a fire to consume Their dross of indifference, and burn the scroll Of their insults in punishment? - I will not! I will not waste myself to embers for them, Not all for them shall the fires of my life be hot, For myself a heap of ashes of weariness, till sleep Shall have raked the embers clear: I will keep Some of my strength for myself, for if I should sell It all for them, I should hate them - - I will sit and wait for the bell.

The speaker then assumes that even if he commits all of his energy of efforts to these students, he cannot justify to himself the expenditure of that energy. His very soul is being wasted in attempts to teach the unteachable. He senses that he is being insulted by the students’ lack of motivation and desire to achieve.

The speaker has determined that there is no value in struggling to impart knowledge to a bunch of seemingly braindead urchins who possess not a shred of desire to acquire an education. This teacher proclaims his intention to stop using up his soul power in vain attempts to teach these recalcitrant unteachables. He looks fate in the eye and finds that no matter what he does, no matter what they do, it all goes down to the same nothingness. Whether he teachers or not, it does not matter. Whether they learn or not, it does not matter.

The bored teacher likens his life to "embers" of a fire that is slowly burning out. And he insists that he will not allow himself to become a simple ash heap from burning himself out while attempting to accomplish the impossible. If sleep will rake the embers clear, he will, instead, save his energy for more worthwhile activities that will actually enhance his life, instead of draining it of vitality. The speaker implies that as a teacher, he is obligated to assume responsibly with all his strength, but by doing so, he wastes himself on a futile mission. Thus, he makes a vow to himself to cease this purposeless activity. Nothing he does can influence these poor souls, so why, he asks himself, should he continue to do it? Why torture himself as he tortures the undeliverable?

The speaker/teacher can no longer care, if, in fact, he ever did. He feels that the effort is not worth it. He must move on. Vaguely, he implies that teachers are born, not made. The disgruntled teacher has landed on his perfect thought. Like the students who resist learning, he has become the teacher who will resist teaching. He will "sit and wait for the bell," just as his students are doing. If they do not want to learn, then he concludes, why should he want to teach? He is tried of wasting his efforts on a futile activity. The battle between unwilling student and unenthusiastic teacher ends in a stalemate. The image of them both sitting and waiting for the bell to ring signals a rather sad scenario of futility.

Alliteration in Lawrence's "Afternoon in School: The Last Lesson"

In the first stanza of D. H. Lawrence's "Afternoon in School: The Last Lesson," the following lines contain what upon first impression might be considered "alliteration." The initial consonants are capitalized, bolded, and italicized for easy recognition:

Line 1: When Will the bell ring, and end this Weariness? Lines 4 and 5: they Hate to Hunt, / I can Haul them Lines 6 and 7: to Bearthe Brunt / Of the Books Lines 7, 8, and 9: Score / Of Several insults of blotted pages and Scrawl / Of Slovenly Line 11: Woodstacks Working Weariedly

Despite the obvious repetition of initial consonantal sound, the poetic purpose for the use of alliteration is not fulfilled in any of those consonant groups, and therefore I suggest that true poetic alliteration is not actually employed in this poem.

Poets/writers employ "Alliteration" in both poetry and prose in order to create a musically rhythmic sound. Alliterative sound renders to the flow of words a beauty which attracts the auditory nerves making the language both more enjoyable and more easily remembered. None of this is happening in Lawrence's lines with the supposed alliteration, especially lines 4-5, 6-7, and 7-8-9, which spill over onto the next line, thus separating the alliterative group.

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Questions & Answers

Questions must be on-topic, written with proper grammar usage, and understandable to a wide audience.

Question:

Which idea does D.H. Lawrence's poem, "Last Lesson" begin and end with?

What is D.H. Lawrence's final decision or resolve in "Last Lesson of the Afternoon"?

Answer:

The speaker of the poem, who is a bored and disappointed teacher, decides to just sit and wait for the bell to ring, the same as his lazy, dull-witted students. Likely, he will quit his teaching job because he feels that it is causing him to waste his time trying to teach the unteachable.

In stanza five, Lawrence says "And yet I'm supposed to care, with all my might." With reference to the notes for the poem, what does this mean?

Answer:

You are referring to an earlier draft of Lawrence's poem, which he likely did not intend for publication and scrutiny. Noice that there is no "stanza 5" nor the line, "And yet I'm supposed to care, with all my might" in the version of the poem on which I commented. Nor are there any notes attached to this draft.

Therefore, I cannot address your question because it is inappropriate for commenters to focus on earlier drafts of poems that poets had improved and polished for publication.

Which idea does D.H. Lawrence's poem, "Last Lesson of the Afternoon," begin and end with?

Answer:

The poem begins with the teacher anticipating the bell ringing--this is the end of class. It ends the same way-- the teacher sitting and waiting for the bell to ring. The beginning idea and ending idea are the same, anticipating of the bell ringing signaling the end of the wearisome class.

In D.H. Lawrence's "Last Lesson of the Afternoon," Lawrence uses the word "abyss." What does he want to show about his own situation by the use of this word in stanza four?

Answer:

You are referring to an older version of this poem. I use Lawrence's final draft that he had improved over earlier versions. Notice that the version I use does not contain the word, "abyss," and it is separated into only two stanzas, not four.

The speaker compares his uninspired students to dogs that pull on the leash trying to free themselves from his instruction. They do not want to learn, and he does not want to continue trying to teach them.

In stanza 4, the poet (remember he is a teacher) uses the word "abyss." What does he want to show about his own situation through the use of this word?

Answer:

Please notice that there is no "stanza 4, nor does the term "abyss" appear in the version of the poem I use. I highly recommend that you study the version offered in my commentary; it is an improved revision and is likely the one that the poet hoped his readers would focus on.

Therefore, it is not appropriate for a commentary writer to focus on terms and issues that were filtered out of earlier drafts of the poet's work.

Only that the speaker/teacher is awaiting the tolling of the bell to end class. He is wary of the students he disdains; thus he very much wants to hear that toll of the bell.

While the word "toll" does appear in an earlier draft of this poem, the poet's final draft eliminated it along with several other issues that diminished the poem's effectiveness. I recommend that you study the final version used in my commentary; it is the one the poet finally recognized as his best draft.

In D.H. Lawrence's "Last Lesson of the Afternoon," what is the speaker sick about?

Answer:

The speaker is only "sick" as in the expression "sick and tired." He even says so in the line, "I am sick, and tired more than any thrall." He simply resents having to teach students whom he deems incapable of learning.

The students defy the teacher's attempt to teach them as "unruly hounds" defy their traitors' efforts to teach them or take them for walks. As dogs tug at their leashes, the students tug at the restraints imposed by a teacher trying to teach.

In stanza 3 of the poem " Last Lesson of the Afternoon" the speaker seems angry; why?

Answer:

The speaker/teacher is not angry; he is tired of teaching students who do not want to learn. Also note that you are studying an earlier draft of the poem. The improved version that I use has only 2 stanzas.

What does "dross of indifference" mean in D.H. Lawrence's "Last Lesson of the Afternoon"?

Answer:

In British English, the term "dross" refers to a type of coal that won't burn well. Thus it is considered waste or refuses material.

Let's place the phrase "dross of indifference" in context, which is a question spanning the following five lines:

1 And shall I take

2 The last dear fuel and heap it on my soul

3 Till I rouse my will like a fire to consume

4 Their dross of indifference, and burn the scroll

5 Of their insults in punishment?

Notice that the speaker begins a metaphor of burning fuel to rouse his will. He is asking if he should bother burning the fuel, using his energy, to eliminate the waste of those student's "indifference" and then insult them by punishing them. He considers this act one that would take too much of his energy, "the last dear fuel," that he possesses. And he feels that it is not worth his time and energy.

The "it" in the line, "The last dear fuel and heap it on my soul," refers to "last dear fuel." And in the lines, "Some of my strength for myself, for if I should sell / It all for them," "it" refers to strength.

Why does the speaker of D.H. Lawrence's "Last Lesson" describe his learners as a "pack of unruly hounds"?

Answer:

Because they are undisciplined and uninterested in learning. They lack control and it is difficult for this teacher to give them direction. They are likely a normal bunch of students that a master teacher would likely find a fascinating challenge. But this teacher is not really interested in teaching and feels that he is wasting his time trying to train bunch of mad dogs.

In D.H. Lawrence's "Last Lesson of the Afternoon," why does the poet think of his pupils as a pack of unruly hounds?

Answer:

The speaker/teacher likens his students to undisciplined dogs because like dogs the students pull on the leash of his teaching trying to free themselves from his instruction. They do not want to learn, and they do not respond appropriately to the lessons he is trying to instill in them.

The controlling bitterness of the speaker's tone dramatizes the plight of a weary, disgruntled teacher who begins in weariness and ends in the determination not to let the situation destroy his own soul.

What metaphor does the poet D.H. Lawrence use in the first stanza of the poem "Last Lesson of the Afternoon"? With which words is this metaphor sustained?

Answer:

The speaker metaphorically compares his uninspired students to dogs that pull on the leash trying to free themselves from his instruction. He uses that dog metaphor in the following lines; "How long have they tugged the leash, and strained apart / My pack of unruly hounds."

In D.H. Lawrence's "Last Lesson of the Afternoon," what is the effect of using a rhetorical question in the opening line?

Answer:

The question in the opening line is used to exaggerate the speaker's displeasure at the length of time he has to wait for the bell to ring. He knows when the bell will ring, but he feigns ignorance to show how perturbed he is with what he is doing.

The poem contains some rimes that are scattered throughout the four movements. The rimes seem to occur rather accidentally, and do not rise to the level of an actual "scheme." These seemingly haphazard rimes play well in dramatizing the utter boredom of the teacher.

(Please note: The spelling, "rhyme," was introduced into English by Dr. Samuel Johnson through an etymological error. For my explanation for using only the original form, please see "Rime vs Rhyme: An Unfortunate Error." https://owlcation.com/humanities/Rhyme-vs-Rime-An-...

In D. H. Lawrence's "Last Lesson of the Afternoon," what does the expression 'it's all my aunt' mean?

Answer:

The poet revised that expression out of the poem. I do not comment on older versions of poems that the poet obviously rejected for publication. I realize that some teachers still rely on the older version, but it would be a better learning exercise if they would at least offer both versions for comparison, before sending students off the study that older, flawed version.

In D.H. Lawrence's "Last Lesson of the Afternoon," what a sense is it applicable to the speaker's situation?

Answer:

The teacher disdains his uninspired students. He feels that he cannot teach them anything, and thus he is wasting his time. He likely plans to find some occupation in which he can become a better performer.

Not really. He only taught for about six years, but he seemed to enjoy it, and he was by all accounts a very innovative teacher. That set of circumstances supports the fact that referring to a poem's "speaker" and not the "poet" is almost always the best policy.

What does the speaker of the poem "Last Lesson of the Afternoon" want to do?

Answer:

The teacher in "Last Lesson of the Afternoon" is dramatizing the uninspired performance of his lackluster students and then vows to himself to cease torturing his own soul with such a waste of time and effort.

What does the phrase "dross of indifference" means in the poem "Last Lesson of the Afternoon" by D.H. Lawrence?

Answer:

In British English, the term "dross" refers to a type of coal that won't burn well; therefore, it is considered waste material.

Let's place the phrase "dross of indifference" in context, which is a question spanning the following five lines:

1 And shall I take

2 The last dear fuel and heap it on my soul

3 Till I rouse my will like a fire to consume

4 Their dross of indifference, and burn the scroll

5 Of their insults in punishment?

Notice that the speaker begins a metaphor of burning fuel to light up his will. He is questioning whether he should bother using his energy, to get rid of the waste of those student's "indifference" or lack of interest and concern for learning, and then punish them. He considers this act to be one that would take too much of his energy, "the last dear fuel," that he possesses. And he feels that it is not a useful way to employ his time and energy.

What does the teacher talk about in the poem, "Last Lesson of the Afternoon" by D.H. Lawrence?

Answer:

The teacher in "Last Lesson of the Afternoon" offers a dramatization of the uninspired performance observed of his lackluster students and then decides to stop torturing his own soul with such a waste of time and effort; one would assume that the teacher will quit his job.

The speaker, who is a teacher, in "Last Lesson of the Afternoon" is dramatizing the uninspired performance of his lackluster students and then vows to himself to cease torturing his own soul by wasting of his time and effort in trying to instruct them.

What is the content of the poem "Last Lesson of the Afternoon" by D.H. Lawrence?

Answer:

The speaker is a teacher who is expounding on his exasperation at trying to teach students who are too stubborn and lazy to try to learn. He decides he will stop wasting his time bothering with them. He will sit and wait for the bell to ring to end this boring class.

D. H. Lawrence’s poem, "Last Lesson of the Afternoon," contains some rimes that are scattered throughout the four movements. It's likely the rimes occur rather accidentally, and do not, in fact, rise to the level of an actual "scheme." These seemingly haphazard rimes play well in dramatizing the utter boredom of the teacher.

Can you explain the content of the poem "Last Lesson of the Afternoon" by D.H. Lawrence?

Answer:

The poem sets forth a drama of a teacher who is bored and annoyed with his work. He is as anxious as the lackadaisical students for the bell to ring. Thus in the opening, we find him waiting for the bell that ends class, and in the closing, we find him again anticipating the ringing of the bell to finish off the boring, annoying class.

D. H. Lawrence’s poem, "Last Lesson of the Afternoon," contains some rimes that are scattered throughout the four movements. Likely the rimes occur rather accidentally, and do not, in fact, rise to the level of an actual "scheme."

"Hound" refers to any dog, including the hound-dog breeds, such as Bloodhound, Bluetick Coonhound, Dachshund, Beagle, or Wolfhound. Therefore, a "Wolfhound" is a hound, but a "hound" is not necessarily as Wolfhound.

What is the effect of using a rhetorical question in the opening line of D.H. Lawrence's poem, "Last Lesson of the Afternoon"?

Answer:

The speaker begins with the question to emphasize how bored and weary he is waiting for that bell to ring. It's similar to asking, "Will that bell never ring?" Of course, he knows when it will ring, but because he is so bored, time seems to be dragging by.

In D. H. Lawrence’s "Last Lesson of the Afternoon," what is the reason for the students' behavior?

Answer:

Because the speaker in Lawrence's "Last Lesson of the Afternoon" describes his students as "My pack of unruly hounds," it is likely that he thinks they are recalcitrant and lack interest in learning; beyond that, he does not speculate about any reason that they remain so.

What experience does the speaker recall in D.H. Lawrence's "Last Lesson of the Afternoon"?

Answer:

Instead of recalling his experience, the speaker is in the process of the little drama he is describing--waiting for the bell to ring to end a class that he has bored him because of the attitudes of the students he is supposed to teach.

In D.H. Lawrence's poem, "Last Lesson of the Afternoon," what is speaker's situation?

Answer:

The speaker is a teacher who is put off by his lazy, uninspired students. He believes that trying to teach them is a waste of time. He thus has become bored and wishes to simply sit and wait for the bell.

In D.H. Lawrence's "Last Lesson of the Afternoon," when does the poet feel despair?

Answer:

There are many adjectives to describe the teacher's state of mind-- bored, annoyed, tired of wasting his time--but "despair" is not one of them. Despair indicates hopelessness, and this teacher is not hopeless. He simply knows that his mood will be much improved after he no longer has to teach this particular class of recalcitrant, uncaring pupils.

What is the rime scheme of the D.H. Lawrence's poem, "Last Lesson of the Afternoon"?

Answer:

D. H. Lawrence’s poem, "Last Lesson of the Afternoon," contains some rimes that are scattered throughout the four movements. Likely the rimes occur rather accidentally, and do not rise to the level of an actual "scheme." These seemingly haphazard rimes play well in dramatizing the utter boredom of the teacher.

(Please note: The spelling, "rhyme," was introduced into English by Dr. Samuel Johnson through an etymological error. For my explanation for using only the original form, please see "Rime vs Rhyme: An Unfortunate Error" at https://owlcation.com/humanities/Rhyme-vs-Rime-An-... .)

Can you explain how the choice of adjectives D.H. Lawrence uses to create the mood in his poem, "Last Lesson of the Afternoon"?

Answer:

The speaker in the poem is bored and annoyed that he has to teach students who do not want to be taught; thus his mood is that of annoyance. The adjectives, unruly, blotted, slovenly, sick, tired, all assist in describing the speaker/teacher's mood of annoyance.

What concerns are shown by the poet in the poem, "Last Lesson of the Afternoon"? Do you think such situations persist in the present scenario?

Answer:

There is one concern: The teacher feels that he is wasting his time trying to teach students who are unwilling to learn. If you are asking if there are teachers who feel that way now, then the answer is yes.

What subject did the teacher probably teach in D.H. Lawrence's "Last Lesson of the Afternoon"?

Answer:

The speaker in D. H. Lawrence's "Last Lesson of the Afternoon" does not indicate the subject he was teaching. One might assume because of Lawrence's career as a writer, the subject might be English or some other writing-related course. Because Lawrence failed to allow his speaker/teacher to specify the subject, readers who concentrate on that omission will become sidetracked and likely miss the message Lawrence actually wanted to share. In order words, readers must address what the poem says, not what it leaves out, if they want to understand and appreciate the actual poem.

What is the person in Lawrence's poem "Last Lesson of the Afternoon" talking about?

Answer:

The teacher in "Last Lesson of the Afternoon" is dramatizing the uninspired performance of his lackluster students and then vows to himself to cease torturing his own soul by wasting his time and effort in trying to instruct them.

The bored teacher likens his life to "embers" of a fire that is slowly burning out. And he insists that he will not allow himself to become a simple ash heap from burning himself out while attempting to accomplish the impossible. If sleep will rake the embers clear, he will, instead, save his energy for more worthwhile activities that will actually enhance his life, instead of draining it of vitality. The speaker implies that as a teacher, he is obligated to assume responsibly with all his strength, but by doing so, he wastes himself on a futile mission.

Can you discuss the poetic devices of D.H. Lawrence's "Last Lesson of the Afternoon"?

Answer:

The speaker metaphorically compares his uninspired students to dogs that pull on the leash trying to free themselves from his instruction.

In the second stanza, he likens his soul energy to a burning fire, which also includes a simile.

The poem features rather haphazard, scatter rime, which fits the theme of the piece. (Please note: The spelling, "rhyme," was introduced into English by Dr. Samuel Johnson through an etymological error. For my explanation for using only the original form, please see "Rime vs Rhyme: An Unfortunate Error" at https://hubpages.com/humanities/Rhyme-vs-Rime-An-U...

Could you identify and explain the poetic device used in the lines, "Why should we beat our heads against the wall of each other?" and "I will sit and wait for the bell" in D.H. Lawrence's "Last Lesson of the Afternoon"?

Answer:

The line, "Why should we beat our heads against the wall of each other?," does not appear in the version of the poem that I use. The line, "I will sit and wait for the bell," is literal and does not employ any poetic device.

What is the rime scheme of D.H. Lawrence's poem, "Last Lesson of the Afternoon"?

Answer:

This poem contains some rimes that are scattered throughout the four movements. Likely the rimes occur rather accidentally, and do not rise to the level of an actual "scheme." These seemingly haphazard rimes play well in dramatizing the utter boredom of the teacher.

In the first stanza of "Last Lesson of the Afternoon", why does he compare his students to "unruly hounds"?

Answer:

The speaker compares his uninspired students to dogs that pull on the leash trying to free themselves from his instruction. They do not want to learn, and he does not want to continue trying to teach them.

"Setting" does not "develop" anything; it merely serves as the location in which an event takes place. The event in this poem takes place in a classroom with the teacher revealing his disdain for his job. He sits and waits for the bell to ring. The teacher/speaker's own words develop the theme. One might ask how the "setting" contributes to the theme. In that case, the answer would be that the event occurs in a classroom featuring students, a teacher, books, and finally a bell that will ring to end class.

The speaker seems to become very agitated in the second stanza. Why is that?

Answer:

The speaker is contemplating what it would take for him to attempt to rouse the students to life, to motivate them to wanting to learn. But if he commits all of his energy of efforts to these students, he cannot justify to himself the expenditure of that energy. His very soul is being wasted in attempts to teach the unteachable. He senses that he is being insulted by the students’ lack of motivation and desire to achieve.

Does the teacher quit teaching after the event's of D.H. Lawrence's poem "Last Lesson of the Afternoon"?

Answer:

The poem does not provide a definitive answer to that question, but the battle between unwilling student and unenthusiastic teacher ends in a stalemate. The image of them both sitting and waiting for the bell to ring signals a rather sad scenario of futility.

In the first stanza of D. H. Lawrence's "Last Lesson of the Afternoon," the following lines contain what might be considered "alliteration." The initial consonants are capitalized here.

Line 1: When Will the bell ring, and end this Weariness?

Lines 4 and 5: they Hate to Hunt, / I can Haul them

Lines 6 and 7: to Bear the Brunt / Of the Books

Lines 7, 8, and 9: Score / Of Several insults of blotted pages and Scrawl / Of Slovenly

Line 11: Woodstacks Working Weariedly

Despite the obvious repetition of initial consonantal sound, I would suggest that the poetic purpose for the use of alliteration is not fulfilled in any of those consonant groups, and therefore I suggest that true poetic alliteration is not actually employed in this poem.

Poets/writers employ "Alliteration" in both poetry and prose in order to create a musically rhythmic sound. Alliterative sound renders to the flow of words a beauty which attracts the auditory nerves making the language both more enjoyable and more easily remembered. None of this is happening in Lawrence's lines with the supposed alliteration, especially lines 4-5, 6-7, and 7-8-9, which spill over onto the next line, thus separating the alliterative group.

The speaker of D. H. Lawrence's "Last Lesson of the Afternoon" is merely letting off steam built up from hating his job and feeling that he is wasting his time trying to perform the tasks associated with that job.

How effective is D.H. Lawrence's comparison of students to unruly hounds in "Last Lesson of the Afternoon"?

Answer:

In D. H. Lawrence's "Last Lesson of the Afternoon," the speaker very effectively likens metaphorically the behavior of his pupils to dogs that are undisciplined and therefore very difficult to lead. This metaphoric pairing is one of the very best in all of literary studies, ranking in effectiveness, colorfulness, and appropriateness to Robert Frost's masterful metaphor of leaves as a snake in his poem, "Bereft": "Leaves got up in a coil and hissed / Blindly struck at my knee and missed."

D. H. Lawrence’s poem, "Last Lesson of the Afternoon," contains some rimes that are scattered throughout the four movements. Likely the rimes occur rather accidentally, and do not, in fact, rise to the level of an actual "scheme." These seemingly haphazard rimes play well in dramatizing the utter boredom of the teacher.

What point is the speaker of D. H. Lawrence's poem "Last Lesson of the Afternoon" making?

Answer:

This speaker/teacher does not have the patience and love of the young to teach; he is weary, and he cannot empathize with these students who can muster only a lackluster performance. He loathes facing the many papers with badly written scrawls that disgust him. His sixty charges have handed into him "slovenly work," and he is bone tired of having to confront it. The speaker asserts that it does him no service, but it also does not serve his students as well. The speaker declares that it does not matter if they are able to write about what they lack interest in any way. He finds it all pointless. He bitterly complains repeatedly about the ultimate purpose of all this activity.

What is the metaphor in the opening lines of D.H. Lawrence's "Last Lesson of the Afternoon"?

Answer:

The metaphor in the opening lines of D.H. Lawrence's "Last Lesson of the Afternoon" is a dog metaphor, as the speaker compares his uninspired students to dogs that pull on the leash trying to free themselves from his instruction.

What does the image of “embers” add to the meaning of D. H. Lawrence's "Last Lesson of the Afternoon"?

Answer:

The bored teacher likens his life to "embers" of a fire that is slowly burning out. And he insists that he will not allow himself to become a simple ash heap from burning himself out while attempting to accomplish the impossible. If sleep will rake the embers clear, he will, instead, save his energy for more worthwhile activities that will actually enhance his life, instead of draining it of vitality. The speaker implies that as a teacher, he is obligated to assume responsibly with all his strength.

What does the speaker finally determine in the poem "Afternoon in School: The Last Lesson"?

Answer:

The speaker has determined that there is no value in struggling to impart knowledge to a bunch of seemingly braindead urchins who possess not a shred of desire to acquire an education. This teacher proclaims his intention to stop using up his soul power in vain attempts to teach these recalcitrant unteachable.

What is the message of the poem "Afternoon in School: The Last Lesson"?

Answer:

The teacher in "Afternoon in School: The Last Lesson" is dramatizing the uninspired performance of his lackluster students and then vows to himself to cease torturing his own soul by wasting his time and effort in trying to instruct them.

The speaker shows weariness and even says he is tired of his job; there is nothing the speaker says that suggests anger. One might, however, assume the speaker would experience anger sometime in the future if he continued to try to persist in a job for which he is obviously not suited.

The speaker/teacher in "Last Lesson of the Afternoon" is dramatizing the uninspired performance of his lackluster students and then vows to himself to cease torturing his own soul by wasting of his time and effort in trying to instruct them.

What is the poem, "Last Lesson of the Afternoon," by D. H. Lawrence about?

Answer:

D. H. Lawrence's "Last Lesson of the Afternoon" features a teacher, who dramatizes the uninspired performance of his lackluster students. The teacher has become weary from vain attempts to instruct them as they refuse to learn.

The metaphor is "How long have they tugged the leash, and strained apart / My pack of unruly hounds." The speaker is comparing his uninspired students to dogs that pull on the leash, trying to free themselves from his instruction. They do not want to learn.

Suggest one reason for the students' behavior in Lawrence's "Last Lesson the Afternoon"?

Answer:

The speaker in Lawrence's "Last Lesson of the Afternoon" believes that the students are not interested in learning; they are indifferent and their indifference is causing them to waste their time and the time of the teacher.

Why doesn't speaker of "Last Lesson of the Afternoon" want to waste his life anymore?

Answer:

The speaker assumes that even if he commits all of his energy and efforts to these students, he cannot justify to himself the expenditure of that energy. He feels that his very soul is being wasted in attempts to teach the unteachable. He senses that he is being insulted by the students’ lack of motivation and desire to achieve.

What does embers refer to in the poem D.H. Lawrence's "Last Lesson of the Afternoon"?

Answer:

The bored teacher likens his life to "embers" of a fire that is slowly burning out. And he insists that he will not allow himself to become a simple ash heap from burning himself out while attempting to accomplish the impossible. If sleep will rake the embers clear, he will, instead, save his energy for more worthwhile activities that will actually enhance his life, instead of draining it of vitality.

What does the teacher hate in the poem, "Last Lesson of the Afternoon"?

Answer:

This teacher does not have the patience and love of the young to teach; he is weary, and he cannot empathize with these students who can muster only a lackluster performance. He loathes facing the many papers with badly written scrawls that disgust him. His sixty charges have handed into him "slovenly work," and he is bone tired of having to confront it. The speaker asserts that it does him no service, but it also does not serve his students as well. The speaker declares that it does not matter, if they are able to write about what they lack interest in anyway. He finds it all pointless. He bitterly complains repeatedly about the ultimate purpose of all this activity

In D. H. Lawrence's "Last Lesson of the Afternoon," why does the speaker use the "embers" metaphor?

Answer:

In D. H. Lawrence's "Last Lesson of the Afternoon," the bored teacher likens his life metaphorically to "embers" of a fire that is slowly burning out. And he insists that he will not allow himself to become a simple ash heap from burning himself out while attempting to accomplish the impossible. If sleep will rake the embers clear, he will, instead, save his energy for more worthwhile activities that will actually enhance his life, instead of draining it of vitality. The speaker implies that as a teacher, he is obligated to assume responsibly with all his strength, but by doing so, he wastes himself on a futile mission. Thus, he makes a vow to himself to cease this purposeless activity. Nothing he does can influence these poor souls, so why, he asks himself, should he continue to do it? Why torture himself as he tortures the undeliverable?

Some versions of this poem have 6 stanzas, why does this one have only two?

Answer:

The six-version poem is likely an earlier draft. Lawrence revised his poem, eliminating some clichés, adding the useful metaphor of the "embers," and tightening the structure; thus, his best version resulted in only two stanzas instead of the original six.

The teacher in "Last Lesson of the Afternoon" is dramatizing the uninspired performance of his lackluster students and then vows to himself to cease torturing his own soul by wasting of his time and effort in trying to instruct them.

While it is true that a student could feel as weary as the teacher does in this scenario, it would make no sense for a student to utter any of the following lines:

“My pack of unruly hounds: I cannot start / Them again on a quarry of knowledge they hate to hunt.” Only the teacher could say “My pack of unruly hounds”; if a student uttered a similar sentiment about other students in her class, she would have say merely “that pack of unruly hounds,” while referring to the other students. And only the teacher could remark that he cannot lead the class to a “quarry” that “they hate to hunt.” Any student in the class is one of those being led, not leading, which only the teacher can do.

Also, it would be nonsensical for any student to say, “No more can I endure to bear the brunt / Of the books that lie out on the desks: a full three score / Of several insults of blotted pages and scrawl / Of slovenly work that they have offered me.” The “slovenly work” is offered to the teacher not to another student.

Finally, the line wherein the speaker asks whether he should use up his energy to “burn the scroll / Of their insults in punishment?” demonstrates that only the teacher can be creating this little drama for only the teacher is in position to mete out punishment; students cannot punish other students for their lackadaisical, dog-like stubbornness.

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AUTHOR

Linda Sue Grimes

2 years agofrom U.S.A.

Jack, your claims do not hold up. The version most widely published, the one I used, is more "concentrated" possessing 5 fewer lines. That version eliminates the cliche, "it's all my aunt!" It also tightens the text by eliminating repetitive language.

The poet added "embers" for a good reason! The term expresses his feeling of a slow-dying inspiration brought on by the boredom he is absorbing from the bored students. The term "embers" actually adds polish and distillation to the verse. Not likely that the poet would have made such a grievous error as to remove it for a final draft.

The version you offer is likely an earlier version, not the final one.

Jack

2 years ago

I'm pretty sure the text of the poem you have there is not Lawrence's final version of this poem. It certainly isn't the most polished. The version I am familiar with is from The New Dragon Book of Verse...

AUTHOR

Linda Sue Grimes

3 years agofrom U.S.A.

Suzette, congratulations on such a long career as a teacher. And thank you for your service. I also taught for a number of years in junior high, high school, and at university, but I never felt that that profession really had my heart. I taught about 20 years but not all consecutively.

I also identified with Lawrence's poem, perhaps, more than you did. I especially feel the line, "I will not waste my soul and strength for this"--that was my feeling as I retired early from the profession.

But admire your attitude greatly and think I could have achieved it if I had tried harder. Thanks for you comment. Have a great day!

Suzette Walker

3 years agofrom Taos, NM

I enjoyed this poem and your analysis very much. I am a retired teacher and I can relate to how he feels. But, I must say that every time I felt this way, the next day, or a particular student, would "get it" and inspire me to continue teaching. I kept teaching for 3o years and the advantages out weighed the disadvantages and I found more inspirational students than I did the lazy hounds.

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